• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The BarBend Logo in white.

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • News
    • CrossFit
    • Strongman
    • Bodybuilding
    • Powerlifting
    • Weightlifting
    • HYROX
  • Reviews
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Mini-Massage Guns
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
        • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
        • Best Mass Gainer
        • Best Protein Bars
      • Best Pre-Workouts
        • Best Pre-Workout for Women
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
        • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
        • Strongest Pre-Workouts
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Fat Burners
      • Individual Supplement Reviews
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Ellipticals
      • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Individual Cardio Equipment Reviews
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Leg Extension Machines
      • Individual Strength Equipment Reviews
    • Apparel
      • Best Weightlifting Shoes
      • Best Cross Training Shoes
      • Best Running Shoes
      • Best Gym Shorts
    • Fitness Tech
      • Best Running Apps
      • Best Fitness Trackers
      • Best Workout Apps
      • Best Smart Scales
    • Support Gear
      • Best Lifting Straps
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
  • Nutrition
    • Diets
      • Carb Cycling
      • Vertical Diet
      • Reverse Dieting
      • Carnivore Diet
      • Ketogenic Diet
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • IIFYM Diet
    • Muscle Gain
      • How to Dirty Bulk
      • Go From Cutting to Bulking
      • Eat These Carbs
      • How to Eat for Muscle
    • Fat Loss
      • Macros for Fat Loss
      • Calorie Deficits
      • Natural Fat Burners
      • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
    • Supplement Guides
      • Pre-Workout
      • Whey Protein
      • Mass Gainers
      • Greens Powders
      • Creatine
      • BCAAs
    • Daily Protein Needs
    • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
    • Foods With Creatine
    • Bulking Tips
  • Training
    • Exercise Guides
      • Deadlift
      • Bench Press
      • Back Squat
      • Overhead Press
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Shoulder Exercises
      • Chest Exercises
      • Ab Exercises
      • Quad Exercises
      • Biceps Exercises
    • Training Guides
      • Beginner’s Guide to the Gym
      • How to Build Muscle
      • Guide to Muscle Hypertrophy
      • How to Train on a Cut
    • Workouts
      • Back Workouts
      • At-Home Workouts
      • Chest & Back Workouts
      • Full-Body Workout
      • HIIT Workouts
      • Bodybuilding Workouts
      • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
    • Programs
      • 5×5 Program
      • Bodybuilding Programs
      • Push-Up Program
      • Pull-Up Program
      • 5/3/1 Program
      • Powerbuilding Program
      • German Volume Training
      • Build Your Own Program
  • Calculators
    • Protein Intake Calculator
    • Macros Calculator
    • BMR Calculator
    • Squat Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
  • Community Forum
Home » News » Double Your Training Frequency To Actually Improve Your Conditioning

Double Your Training Frequency To Actually Improve Your Conditioning

Increased training frequency can improve VO2 max.

Written by Terry Ramos
Last updated on May 28th, 2025

Is your endurance training lagging despite logging endless miles on the treadmill or long sessions on the elliptical? Improving your conditioning isn’t as straightforward as extended durations on cardio machines. There’s more science to it than brute force.

In early December 2024, Dr. Gommaar D’Hulst, a senior scientist at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, shared actionable strategies to enhance conditioning. He addressed common concerns and outlined key principles to improve training.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW-7iQs674o&ab_channel=wod-science

[Related: Bench Press Standards — How Heavy Should Your Bench Be?]

Exercise Training Non-Responders

Dr. D’Hulst referenced the “Family HERITAGE Study,” an older research project that examined the effects of exercise training on genetically related individuals. (1) Over 20 weeks, researchers implemented progressive overload training using various exercise equipment. Findings highlighted the following differences in individual training responses:

  • Some participants experienced significant improvements in their VO2 max, an indicator of the body’s ability to absorb and utilize oxygen.
  • Others showed little to no improvement, with some experiencing a decline in their oxygen uptake, categorizing them as non-responders or low responders. Conversely, some high responders showed exceptional fitness gains.
  • Most participants saw an average increase in oxygen uptake ranging from 200 to 500 milliliters, representing the largest segment of the study group.

Since this influential study, researchers have attributed these variations to human genetic differences, suggesting that some individuals can undergo extensive training yet achieve minimal fitness improvements due to inherent biological factors.

Study Debunked 

Another study debunked that notion of genetics. The counter-study emphasized that, with proper training, everyone can benefit from exercise. (2) Eighty-seven young, healthy individuals with no prior training participated. Baseline assessments, including VO2 and VO2 max measurements, were conducted through an incremental test to exhaustion.

Some individuals who trained once, twice, or even three times per week showed no improvement in their VO2 max levels, indicating they didn’t respond to the initial exercise routines.

Participants in the groups training four or five times a week experienced full benefits. Researchers advised non-responders to increase their training frequency by doubling their sessions.

Image via Shutterstock/Lucky Business

Those who initially trained once per week increased to three sessions, while those training twice a week increased to four. Similarly, participants training three times per week increased to five sessions. After rest, the adjustments significantly boosted training volume of all non-responders.

Following another six weeks of training at these higher intensities, every group showed marked improvements in VO2 max. This demonstrates a clear takeaway: individuals can effectively enhance their VO2 max over time by increasing weekly training frequency.

What Does This Mean for Training?

According to Dr. D’Hulst, functional fitness participants who aim to enhance their aerobic conditioning should follow the following steps: 

  1. Track progress consistently by performing a functional threshold power (FTP) test, a VO2 max assessment, and a time trial (e.g., run or row 10 kilometers every 10 to 12 weeks).
  2. Track training volume using the TRIMP formula (training impulse), calculated as rate of perceived exertion (RPE) multiplied by training duration.
  3. Gradually increase training volume by 10-15% through progressive overload.

Functional athletes involved in CrossFit or HYROX who aim to increase their training volume and improve conditioning can benefit from block periodization, which prioritizes a specific training area.

For HYROX athletes, the season can be strategically divided based on competition goals. Early phases can focus on low-intensity, long-duration aerobic conditioning to build a strong base endurance. As the season progresses and competitions draw near, training can shift to higher-intensity efforts.

“If you’re struggling with conditioning, monitor your training load and up the training volume in a block-periodized way,” D’Hulst recommended. “That is the way to go to improve overall conditioning while maintaining functional fitness.”

More Training Content

  • Gym Memberships on a Budget: Tips for Staying Fit Without Overspending
  • 5 Science-Based Hacks for Muscle Growth That Actually Work
  • Exercise and Mental Health: Statistics and Insight From a Physician

References

  1. Bouchard, C., An, P., Rice, T., Skinner, J. S., Wilmore, J. H., Gagnon, J., Pérusse, L., Leon, A. S., & Rao, D. C. (1999). Familial aggregation of VO(2max) response to exercise training: results from the HERITAGE Family Study. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 87(3), 1003–1008. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1999.87.3.1003
  2. Montero, D., & Lundby, C. (2017). Refuting the myth of non-response to exercise training: ‘non-responders’ do respond to higher dose of training. The Journal of physiology, 595(11), 3377–3387. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP273480 

Featured image via Shutterstock/Lucky Business

About Terry Ramos

As a personal trainer and writer, Terry loves changing lives through coaching and the written word. Terry has a B.S. in Kinesiology and is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. Find out more about Terry's training services here: terrys-training.ck.page/b777772623

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Latest Reviews

Featured image for the Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review

Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review (2025): Our Expert’s New Favorite FID Bench

Titan T3 Power Rack Review

Titan T3 Power Rack Review (2025): An Expert-Approved Rig Beckoning to Budget-Minded Athletes

Our tester works out at the beach in preparation for the Rogue Resistance Bands Review

Rogue Resistance Bands Review (2025): Tested by a Certified Personal Trainer

Barbend tester Jake Herod works out on a Force USA Trainer

Force USA G3 Review (2025): Our Experts Tested This Compact All-In-One Rack for Small Home Gyms

BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2025 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap